The praise of our God is not a mood that we create. It’s not an environment that we set. It’s not a context or culture we can create. It’s not an atmosphere that we muster up with our music and our singing. It’s not a spot where we make it holy through our prayers, decorations, our actions. The praise of... Continue Reading

Have you heard, for example, that apocryphal story of Martin Luther? Apparently he was asked one evening what he’d be doing the next day and he replied, ‘Work, work from early till late. In fact I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.’   One of my... Continue Reading

God can use secondary means to achieve his purposes, but they are his purposes nonetheless. Thus he might use Israel’s enemies to judge his people. While God is behind all this, those doing these things also remain fully responsible and morally accountable for their actions. And the prophets, when discussing the fate of Israel, make... Continue Reading

Dr. Smith earned his Ph.D. in Historical Theology (Patristics) from Durham University in England under Professor Lewis Ayres, one of the world’s leading patristic scholars. He holds a Th.M. in Theology from Harvard Divinity School and an M.Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte. During his doctoral studies, Dr. Smith served as a Research Visitor at... Continue Reading

Do you mainly use Scripture for preparing studies or providing answers for other people? Is prayer a routine way to open or close meetings? Are memories of passionate pursuit of Christ in the distant past? Is the sin of others more disappointing than your own sin? Do you feel like a full-time pastor but a... Continue Reading

Packaged in an interesting and engaging format, The Screwtape Letters is an effective rebuttal of the division of sacred and secular. Wherever we may be in your walk with God, Lewis’ book helps believers to think deeply about their everyday lives, and to spot the spiritual temptations that present themselves in seemingly small decisions.    Everyday Warfare... Continue Reading

The work of gaining souls to Christ by the gospel is so great and profitable, and the reward of those who are instruments in saving sinners is so great, and the danger of those who slight this work is so great, that those who are employed in the work of the ministry should spare no... Continue Reading

One to one ministry has incredible value in evangelism and discipleship. You can take the time to explain key gospel concepts thoroughly. As each person is different, you can take the time to answer the different questions people have. You can be more sure that what is being communicated is also being understood.   Christians... Continue Reading

Christ prays perfectly on our behalf. He prays with words we could never utter, prays with confidence we could never muster. He presents to the Father those many good things missing from our prayers, like asking for our safekeeping when we’re naïve about temptation, or for our maturing when we walk through serious trouble. Even... Continue Reading

A full 23 years ago Margaret Thatcher was warning us about all this. Writing in the New York Times a few months after the September 11  terror attacks, she penned a piece rightly calling out the problem: “Islamism is the new Bolshevism.”…Of course, looking back, we now see that America and Europe really did not change all... Continue Reading